Sunrise and Sunset Azimuths in the Planning of Ancient Chinese Towns Amelia Carolina Sparavigna To cite this version: Amelia Carolina Sparavigna. Sunrise and Sunset Azimuths in the Planning of Ancient Chinese Towns. International Journal of Sciences, Alkhaer, UK, 2013, 2 (11), pp.52-59. 10.18483/ijSci.334. hal- 02264434 HAL Id: hal-02264434 https://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-02264434 Submitted on 8 Aug 2019 HAL is a multi-disciplinary open access L’archive ouverte pluridisciplinaire HAL, est archive for the deposit and dissemination of sci- destinée au dépôt et à la diffusion de documents entific research documents, whether they are pub- scientifiques de niveau recherche, publiés ou non, lished or not. The documents may come from émanant des établissements d’enseignement et de teaching and research institutions in France or recherche français ou étrangers, des laboratoires abroad, or from public or private research centers. publics ou privés. 1Department of Applied Science and Technology, Politecnico di Torino, Italy Abstract: In the planning of some Chinese towns we can see an evident orientation with the cardinal direction north-south. However, other features reveal a possible orientation with the directions of sunrise and sunset on solstices too, as in the case of Shangdu (Xanadu), the summer capital of Kublai Khan. Here we discuss some other examples of a possible solar orientation in the planning of ancient towns. We will analyse the plans of Xi’an, Khanbalik and Dali. Keywords: Satellite Imagery, Orientation, Archaeoastronomy, China 1. Introduction different from a solar orientation with sunrise and Recently we have discussed a possible solar sunset directions. The north-south direction is the orientation of Shangdu, also known as Xanadu, the projection on the Earth surface of the “axis mundi”, summer capital of Kublai Khan [1]. Xanadu has an which is the cosmic axis connecting Heaven and evident orientation along the north-south cardinal Earth and passing through the celestial poles. This direction; however, the remains of the walls seem to direction can be easily determined using the shadow have some features, planned according to the of a gnomon, which is a vertical pole on a horizontal directions of sunrise and sunset on the solstices. Their plane, as told in the De Architectura written by azimuths are formed by the vector from the observer Vitruvius, or by observing the azimuths of rising and to the sun rising or setting on the horizontal plane and setting of some stars [6-8]. Both methods were well a reference vector on this plane. To know the known during ancient times. azimuths and the noon altitude of the sun at a specific location on a given day of the year we can use Orienting temples, monuments or towns due North software provided by Sollumis.com. This software is could mean an orientation with the axis about which also drawing on the Google satellite maps some lines all the world is rotating (to ancient people the world showing the direction and height of the sun was the physical universe). In the case of a solar throughout the day. Thicker and shorter lines mean orientation, the plan of buildings or towns has a the sun is higher in the sky. Longer and thinner lines direction usually inclined with respect the cardinal mean the sun is closer to the horizon. Using directions, because the solar azimuth at sunrise or Sollumis.com for instance, we can easily find solar sunset changes during the year (see for instance the orientations in the layout of some Chinese Pyramids orientations of ancient Roman towns or of the Gothic burial complexes, as discussed in the Reference 2. cathedrals of France [9-11]). However, the two Here, let us try to find some other examples of solar orientations can be combined: in the planning of orientation in planning of ancient Chinese towns. Xanadu we can find the north-south orientation with Heavens, and also an orientation with the solar As told in [1], the ancient Chinese urban planning azimuth on solstices. For instance, from the center of included some symbolisms concerning cosmology, the imperial palace, looking at the south gate, on the geomancy, astrology and numerology [3,4], with the winter solstice, the sun was rising and setting in aim of maintaining a local harmony and balance. One correspondence of two bastions of the walls (Figure of the most evident features of this urban planning is 1). Then, a solar orientation is appearing, created by a grid having a north-south orientation, since the Qi some elements of the walls, which became like the flows along this direction [4]. In traditional Chinese boundary of a local symbolic horizon. culture, Qi is an active principle forming part of any living creature, that is, a natural energy flow [5]. This The town of Xanadu was planned by the architect Liu north-south orientation was already found in a very Bingzhong (1216–1274), the Kublai’s adviser [1], old Neolithic settlement, at Banpo, near Xi’an. Banpo who suggested a calendar reform. And in fact, in is representing what was probably a typical 1276, according to this advice of Liu Bingzhong, settlement of North China, five or six thousand years Kublai Khan decided the reform ordering to build ago [3]. Let us note that a north-south orientation is several astronomical observatories throughout China. Amelia Carolina Sparavigna (Correspondence) [email protected], [email protected] DOI: 10.18483/ijSci.334 Sunrise and Sunset Azimuths in the Planning of Ancient Chinese Towns We could tell that the Khan and his architect had a common deep interest in astronomy. Figure 1 - The ruins of Xanadu as seen in the Google Maps. The walls have two gates oriented north-south and circular protruding structures, some round bastions. From the center of the imperial palace, looking at the south gate, on the winter solstice, the sun is rising and setting in correspondence of two bastions of the walls. This orientation according to the solar azimuth is rendering the walls like the limit of a local symbolic horizon (probably Kublai Khan and his architect shared a common interest in astronomy). The direction of the sun during the winter solstice is given by Sollumis.com (http://www.sollumis.com/). This site provides a polar diagram, overlaying a satellite map, showing the directions of the sun for any day of the year. The lines on the drawing show the direction and height (altitude) of the sun. Thicker lines mean the sun is higher in the sky. Longer and thinner lines mean the sun is closer to the horizon. The orientation of buildings to cardinal directions is Khanbalik are cases where, as we have already found considered one of the general characteristics of the in Xanadu, the solar orientation is combined with the Chinese imperial urbanism [3], such as the regular cardinal orientation. However, before their subdivision of the urban plan. This fact was remarked discussion, let us shortly report some parts of the by Francis John Haverfield (1850-1919), British Appendix written by Haverfield in his book [12]. historian and archaeologist [12]: in his book (1913) on the planning of ancient towns, he proposed that 2. Haverfield’s discussion on the Chinese town- the Chinese towns were laid out in a fashion planning connected with a very old agrarian system. A link Haverfield tells the following: “Many towns in China between town-planning and agrarian system can also and also in Japan show more or less definite traces of be found for the ancient Roman towns, whose chess-board planning which recall the customs of the planning had based on a “centuriation”, a ritual of Macedonian and Roman worlds. The outlines of such land orientation and subdivision; the orientation was towns are sometimes rectangular, though sometimes obtained from a central viewpoint, looking towards wholly irregular as if the sport of local conditions; the rising sun [9,10]. Therefore, several Roman their streets, or at least their main streets run colonies have the main street, the decumanus, generally straight and at right angles to one another oriented with the sunrise azimuth on the day of their and end at symmetrically placed gateways. This is no foundation. Let us stress that a “pure” solar modern device. Probably it goes back two thousand, orientation is given according to the “orientem” (in or even three thousand, years. The illustration which I Latin “oriens” is the rising sun), whereas an (F.J. Haverfield) give here, in fig. 36 (the map is orientation with the cardinal north-south direction is reproduced here in the Figure 2, where it is compared according to the “cardo” of the world, the pivot on with satellite Google Maps), showing one of the which the world turns, that is, the pole of the sky. Chinese military colonies planted in Turkestan in the eleventh or twelfth century, is selected not as the F.J. Haverfield is dating back the Chinese town- oldest, but as the best example which I can find of planning to two or three thousand years ago. But, one more or less ancient Chinese planning. There seems of its features, the north-south orientation, is quite no doubt that the system itself is very much more older as demonstrated by the Banpu settlement. In ancient than this instance. Even in Japan, which Refs. 3-5, solar orientations are not considered. Here, probably copied China in this respect, towns were we will show some examples of this orientation in the laid out in chess-board fashion long before the urban plan of Xi’an, Khanbalik and Dali. Xi’an and twelfth century; such are the former capitals, Kioto http://www.ijSciences.com Volume 2 - November 2013 (11) 53 Sunrise and Sunset Azimuths in the Planning of Ancient Chinese Towns and Nara, the latter of which is said to have been to China or from China to Rome, nothing happened founded as early as AD 708.